Harvest festival 2019
As every year, the Folklore Group “Wielkopolanie” took part in this year’s harvesting festivals. On August 24 he participated in Commune and Parish Harvest Festival in Szamocin, August 25 in Poviat and Communal Harvest Festival in Książ Wielkopolski, August 31 during the Commune Harvest Festival in Potrzanów and September 1 in the Harvest Festival in Nekla. Folk festive combined with thanksgiving rites for completing the harvest and field work were preceded by colorful processions in which harvest wreaths were carried. Harvest wreaths usually had the shape of a large crown or circle, personified all harvested crops. They were followed by retinue of the hosts, harvest foremans and invited guests. The wreaths were carried to the churches for the solemn Holy Mass.
The harvest festival was introduced by the large harvest festival participants gathered by the Folklore Group “Wielkopolanie”. “We carry yield, yield …” sang dancers dressed in traditional Greater Poland costumes from around: Krobi and Domochów and Szamotuły or residents of the former villages of the city of Poznań. Over forty performers brought the Wielkopolska traditions and summer-autumn customs closer to the large audience. Together with the “Wielkopolanie” on the stage, all the foremans also had the opportunity to dance, who then handed this year’s loaf of bread to the mayors, commune heads and formans. It was them who went out to the gathered people, revelers, sharing the bread they received (this custom was introduced in the 1980s).
After solemn rituals, the “Wielkopolanie” Folklore Group presented themselves during an hour-long concert presenting dances and songs from various regions of Poland. In addition to the native, Greater Poland folklore “Wielkopolanie” they showed dances and songs of the Silesian Beskids, Rzeszów, Przeworsk, Krakow lands as well as national dances such as: kujawiak, oberek and krakowiak. The color of the stage, dynamics and spontaneity of the dancers was applauded by the large audience.